Maternity girdle and garter supporter



June 23, 1959 P, B ATT 2,891,550

MATERNITY GIRDLE AND CARTER SUPPORTER Filed March '7, 1955 INVENTOR.84044 54 477" United States P te 2,891,550 MATERNITY 'GIRDLE'GARTER-S'UPPORTER Paula Blatt, Cleveland, ohm Application March 1,1955,SeriaiINor4925686 6 Claims. 01. .-1'zs--:ss.s)

This invention is for an improved maternity girdle and garter-supportingmeans and is related to my co-pe'nding application Serial No. 259,214,filed November 30, 1951, now Patent No. 2,710,486.

One object of my present invention "is to "provide a comparativelysimple structure that is highly efficient and that can be manufacturedand sold at'a popular price.

Another particular object "is to devise such a garment with an improvedmeans of adjustable and detachable engagement about the waist of thewearers body'and also an improved adjustable means for attaching thegarters directly to the garment.

Another object is to provide such a garment with'an improved means forengaging theside portions of thehip regions of the wearers body in afirm manner over an extended area so as to afford her ti-sensation'ofsecurity and comfort throughout this region of her body and also toserve as a means of increasing the dependability of the garment inmaintaining its proper position upon her body at all times.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered togetherwith the accompanying drawing. 7

Fig. l is a front view illustrating the position of my present garmentupon the'body of the "wearer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof Fig. 3 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view'illustrating theadjustable and detachableconnection at the rear of 'the garment.

Referring now to the accompanying'drawing'in detail,

the single continuous longitudinallyelastic strip Lofhniform Widththroughout is adapted for 'engagement'beneath the abdomen of the wearersbody and is adapted to extend thence upwardly and rearwardly over thehipsof'the wearers bodyand about her'waist' including hersacroiiiacregion. At the rear part of this garment the strip] ,is provided with areadily detachable-and adjustable means of connection between theendsthereof, as will be fully described.

The longitudinally elastic garter-supporting straps 2 and '3have theirupper ends attached to the strip Liar-such points asfto locate thesestraps approximately :along the front median line of the weareris'tlhighin eachpinstance so as to exert a straight-line tension {along thethighand thus support the garter .G. in proper position of engagementwiththestocking without any danger of'twistingthe stocking. Othergarter-supporting straps are attached to the strip 1 so as to extenddown along the rear-side part of the thigh, ineach-instancefas'indicated by reference -n'umerals 4 and 5, respectively;and the straps--4 and 5 are adapted to extend in a vertical directionsubstantially parallel in each instance with the companion straps 2 and3, respectively. Each of the straps 4 and 5 has direct supportingconnection to a garter G which may engage the stocking at a point at therear-side part of the wearers thigh, as illustrated in the presentdrawing, so as to exert tension along a straight line and thus withoutany danger of twisting the stocking.

2,891,550 Patented June 23, 1959 provided a substantially triangularbody of universally elastic lace 6 between 'the strip 1 and'the straps'4 and "5. A longitudinally elastic strip '7 extends between the twostraps '4 and 5 and along the hottomed'ge'portion 'of'each elastic body6 and the inner *lower edge portion "ofthe abdomen-supporting part ofthe strip 1. In sewing the strips 1 and 7 together, this is donewhilethis part'of the outer strip ,1 is in stretched condition so that, uponre leasing the same after being sewed together, the'contraction'of theouter strip 1 'will tend to'produce an outward curved or arched formwhich will be more naturally adapted for engagement beneath the abdomenof the wearers'body. This manner of connection'between these twooverlying parts will result also in an upward and outward inclinationofthis part of the strip 1 so as to still more'eifectively afford acomfortable supporting engagement'forithe abdomen. 7

The fastening means'between the ends of the strip 1 at the rear of thegarment includes two duplicate old elemerits 10 and 11 of metal or'othersuitable rigid material. Each of these elements has an eye between theparallel portions '10a--'10b and Ila-11b, and an integral hook portion10c, 11c that is parallel to the side portions of the eye in eachinstance. The strip '1 from one side of the wearers body has its endformed as a comparatively "long loop 12 that is adapted for readilydetachable engagementwiththe hook portions 10c of the element 10. Theend portion of'the'strip 1 at the other side of'the garment is extendedfrom the inside of the element 11 outwardly through the eye thereof,thence inwardly throughthe "space between the eye'and the hook portionlie of the element'll, thence past the inner side of the hook portiona'ndthence outwardly through the space between'the hook and eyeportions'of'the'element 10 and thence inwardly through the eye'thereofand back'upon itself to the hook portion 110 of the element 11 where ithasa small loop portion 13 releasably engaged over the hook portion 110of the element "11. Then, by sliding the element 11 along the strip 1which may be moved through the other element 10, the size may beadjusted as maybe desired; and the'largerloop 12 may be readilydetache'dfor removal'of'the. garment'from thebo'dy of the wearer.

'With this arrangement, I am enabledto utilize old fastening elements inanew-and convenient manner for produceye with as parallelportions"14"and '15 and an integral hookjportion'16para1le1 thereto.Each of the strapsz,

3; 4 and' 5' extends outwardly from the under-sideof; its

fastening element through'the eye between theportions "14 and'lfi ofthesame, thence inwardly through the space :betweentheeye"'ahd"hook'portion16, thence past the inner' side'iof thehook portion'16 through the loop G of the garter fastener G. and back upon itself tothe hook portion. 161 with whichthe looped end 2a; 3a; 4a and'Slz'ofeach strap is detachably engaged. "Thus the fastener element may be slidalong the strap for varying theeifective length of thesaine, and theg'arteriastener maybe c'o'nvenienny assembl d' by virtue" Ofthedetachable connection just ldescribed. It is to be 'noted that- 'in thisarrangement "the"a'djustable "strap in'eac'h'" instance has directengagement with the garter fastener.

Not only does the universally elastic lace body 6 serve in the nature ofa form for the side hip regions of the wearers body, with the resultingsense of security upon the-part of the wearer, Ibut also thisuniversally elastic body 6 will serve as a means of compensatingautomatically for and will thus permit the exertion of forces in aeonaeodifierent directions along the strip 1 and the garter straps,

especially the straps 4 and 5, as well as the strap 7; with the resultthat, regardless of these different forces in different directionsaccording to the movements of the wearers body from time to time, thereis always ensured a give-and-take action by the universally elastic body6 and accordingly there is always maintained a firm and snug engagementof the several component parts of the unitary garment with thecorresponding parts of the wearers body and the operation of each ofsuch component parts in the manner intended.

The strap 7 will serve to supplement the front part of the strip 1 as ameans for supporting the abdomen of the wearer and will also serve as abinding for the edge of the lace body 6 in co-ordination with the strip1 and the straps 4 and at the other edges thereof. Also, the particularmanner and form of connection between the middle part of the strip 1 andthe corresponding part of the strap 7 serves to provide a most naturalcurved or arched form of supporting means for the abdomen, which is ofvital importance in maternity cases because of the attendant sensationof security and comfort and may be realized in the present case. Myparticular connection for the garter-supporting means eliminates the useof any intermediate loop or the like and thus there is realized alessening of the cost of manufacture of this garment. Likewise, theremay be realized a corresponding saving in cost of manufacture by reasonof the fact that my present means of connection for thegarter-supporters and for the rear ends of the strip 1 may utilize oldforms of fastener elements that may now be procured upon the market, butwith the advantages herein pointed out.

What I claim is:

l. A combined abdomen-supporting means and garter belt, comprising acontinuous longitudinally elastic strip having a portion adapted to bepositioned beneath the abdomen of the wearer so as to serve as a meansof support therefor when in position upon her body, said strip havingelastic portions extending upwardly and rearwardly from saidabdomen-supporting portion so as to be adapted for engagement above thehips of the wearers body and to have engagement about her waistincluding her sacroiliac region when in position upon her body saidcontinuous strip being of substantially regular form throughout, alongitudinally elastic garter for each stocking depending insubstantially parallel relation to each other from said continuous stripand at the rear-side of the wearers thigh, a longitudinally elasticgarter for each stocking depending from said strip at points alongsubstantially the front median lines of the wearers thighs and insubstantially parallel relation to the other garter for the samestocking in each instance, and a body of universally elastic fabric ofsubstantially triangular form provided only in the region between saidcontinuous strip and the upper end portions of said garters andconnected thereto so as to serve as a girdle for the side hip at eachside of the wearers body when in position of use.

2. The same structure as recited in claim 1 hereof and in which saidcontinuous strip has its abdomen-supporting portion of outward curvedand upwardly and forwardly inclined form so as to be adapted foreffective upward engagement about and beneath the abdomen of the wearer.

3. The same structure as recited in claim 1 hereof and 1 in which saidcontinuous strip has end portions at the rear of the garment providedwith means of separable and adjustable engagement between the endportions thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, a releasable fastening means forthe straps of wearing apparel, campusing a plurality of duplicateelements each having a closed eye with parallel side portions and a hookportion connected integrally at its one end with one end of said eye andextending in spaced parallel relation to said eye portions and havingits other end free, a first strap having its one end provided with aclosed loop adapted for readily detachable engagement with the hookportion of one of said elements, a second strap extended from the innerside and thence through the eye of said other element, thence throughthe space between the inner part of said eye and said hook portion ofsaid other element, thence outwardly through the space between the hookportion and the adjacent portion of the eye of said one of saidelements, thence back upon itself and through the eye of said oneelement and having its end provided with a loop in readily releasableengagement with the hook portion of said other element.

5. In a device of the class described, a garter belt or the like havinga depending strap, a garter-fastener with a strap engageable loop, afastening element having a closed eye with parallel side portions and ahook portion connected integrally with one of said side portions of theeye and extending in spaced parallel relation thereto and having itsother end free, said strap extending outwardly from the under-side ofand through the eye of said fastening element, thence inwardly throughthe space between the inner side portion of said eye and said hookportion, thence past the under-side of said hook portion and directlyoutwardly through the loop of the garterfastener and back upon itselftowards the hook portion of said element, and the end of said straphaving an integral loop in releasable engagement with said hook portionof said fastening element.

6. A combined abdomen-supporting means and garter belt, comprising alongitudinally elastic strip means having a portion adapted to bepositioned beneath the abdomen of the wearer so as to serve as a meansof support therefor when in position upon her body, said strip meanshaving elastic portions extending upwardly and rearwardly from saidabdomen-supporting portion so as to be adapted for engagement above thehips of the wearers body and about her waist including her sacroiliacregion when in position upon her body, said longitudinally elastic stripmeans being of substantially regular dimension throughout, duplicatebodies of elastic fabric of substantially triangular form with one edgethereof, in each instance, attached along the lower edge of saidlongitudinally elastic strip means at the sides of the garment so as tocover and snugly engage only the hips of the wearer when in position ofuse upon her body, and longitudinally elastic garters attached to saidtriangular bodies so as to extend downwardly therefrom and to ensuresnug engagement of said triangular bodies with the wearers hips when inposition of use upon her body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS362,030 Moore Apr. 26, 1887 1,497,840 Clement June 17, 1924 1,525,957Schneider Feb. 10, 1925 2,149,149 Scheinberg Feb. 28, 1939 2,619,645Blatt Dec. 3, 1952 2,687,526 Blais Aug. 31, 1954 2,710,486 Blatt June14, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 687,375 France Apr. 28, 1930

